“Kleandridas in Exile: A Spartan in Thurii”, Mediterranean World 23, 2017, p. 63-71 (original) (raw)

Of all the affairs in which Kleandridas-a military man and member, in all likelihood, of the Spartan elite-1 was involved, the one that marked his rather tumultuous career-and is most frequently mentioned in the sources-is his role as king Pleistoanax's military adviser in 446 BC, during the invasion of Attica by the Peloponnesians. The year 446 was a difficult one for the Athenians, who faced two defections that exploded almost simultaneously: first the defection of the Euboeans and, immediately after, that of the Megarians. Pericles was in Euboea at the head of the Athenian forces; when he heard news of the Megarian revolt and the preparations of the Peloponnesians for an imminent incursion into Attica, he decided to return immediately. According to Thucydides "...Pericles in haste brought his army back again from Euboea. After this the Peloponnesians, under the command of Pleistoanax son of Pausanias, king of the Lacedaemonians, advanced into Attica as far as Eleusis and Thria, ravaging the country; but without going further they returned home." 2 Let us note that Thucydides makes reference to the unexpected withdrawal of the Peloponnesians in 446 three times 3 without ever mentioning Kleandridas, though the author probably knew the circumstances of the adviser's exile. 4 It is in this strange and sudden departure that Kleandridas was involved according to Plutarch's much discussed account. Nevertheless, Plutarch presents a different version of the event: he records 5 that king Pleistoanax, due to his age (since he was probably under 30), 6 was accompanied by a group of advisers. Kleandridas-the only adviser whose name is recorded in the sources-held an important position and was also a major influence on the king. Pericles, fully apprised of the situation, discreetly gauged the degree of Kleandridas' probity